The potential effect of Artificial Intelligence on civilisation - a serious discussion

[paralay]

I really *do* hope that this is not a serious question, but I understand you're from Russia - please correct me if I'm wrong?

This is a serious question, but I'll expand on it. Who determines what is disinformation and by what criteria? As far as I understand, the criterion is simple, we don't like it, so it's a lie/ misinformation.
And yes, I'm from Russia.

 

[Dilandu]

An old anekdote about Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon spirits watching a Soviet Red Square military parade from Heaven:
"If only I have such fine soldiers back then", exclaimed Alexander, "I would surely conquer all Asia!"
"If only I have such mighty weapons back then", mused Genghis Khan, "I would surely conquer all the world!"
"If only I have "Pravda" newspaper back then", grumbled Napoleon, "No one would ever knew that I lost at Waterloo"

 

[martinbayer]

This is a serious question, but I'll expand on it. Who determines what is disinformation and by what criteria?

For starters, in lots of cases a solid understanding of science and logic will already provide the answer.

 

[Dilandu]

For starters, in lots of cases a solid understanding of science and logic will already provide the answer.

Please. Not in political matters.

 

[martinbayer]

Please. Not in political matters.

Why would you deliberately constrain the application of logical thinking by making politics an off topic?

 

[bobbymike]

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/mar/26/rand-tells-lawmakers-prepare-ai-wonder-weapons-cyberspace/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=twtnl_x&utm_medium=SocialFlow

 

[uk 75]

Unfortunately any new invention can be used in ways which offend or corrupt. Much like the Internet today the invention of printing allowed pamphlets and posters to spread pornography and distorted accounts of everything from astronomy to witchcraft.
For most of us we go to places that amuse or inform us in ways which we agree with.

 

[Justo Miranda]

An old anekdote about Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon spirits watching a Soviet Red Square military parade from Heaven:
"If only I have such fine soldiers back then", exclaimed Alexander, "I would surely conquer all Asia!"
"If only I have such mighty weapons back then", mused Genghis Khan, "I would surely conquer all the world!"
"If only I have "Pravda" newspaper back then", grumbled Napoleon, "No one would ever knew that I lost at Waterloo"

Hi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Moniteur_Universel

There is a delightful anecdote from the Hundred Days that captures in a nutshell the fickle nature of newspapers in early 19th Century France. It consists of headlines from the Moniteur universel, the official French government-run newspaper, reporting on Napoleon’s advance on Paris as follows:

9th March, the [Cannibal]1 has quitted his den

10th, the Corsican Ogre has landed at Cape Juan

11th, the Tiger has arrived at Gap

12th, the Monster slept at Grenoble

13th, the Tyrant has passed through Lyons

14th, the Usurper is directing his steps towards Dijon, but the brave and loyal Burgundians have risen en masse and surrounded him on all sides

18th, Bonaparte is only sixty leagues from the capital; he has been fortunate enough to escape the hands of his pursuers

19th, Bonaparte is advancing with rapid steps, but he will never enter Paris

20th, Napoleon will, tomorrow, be under our ramparts

21st, the Emperor is at Fontainebleau

22nd, His Imperial and Royal Majesty, yesterday evening, arrived at the Tuileries, amidst the joyful acclamations of his devoted and faithful subjects.2

 

[shin_getter]

This is a serious question, but I'll expand on it. Who determines what is disinformation and by what criteria?

For starters, in lots of cases a solid understanding of science and logic will already provide the answer.

One can derive from logic epistemology and the limits of knowledge.

There are different self consistent world models that can generate the output one personally observes from sense data. One can further choose between world models on criteria ranging from:
1. Probability estimated from calculation with priors
2. Utility of model in that it provides actions points to impact the future towards value goals

Note that even logically inconsistent models are not entirely useless for it can still approximate the world.

As for politics, the main issue is that just about no model generate high expected value for any political adjacent action thus it all irrelevant except for personal (fitting it, annoying other posters, social status, etc) purposes.

If reliable personal AI gets produced, the logical thing is to give it priors and have it reverse derive a worldview.

 

[Justo Miranda]

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/mar/26/rand-tells-lawmakers-prepare-ai-wonder-weapons-cyberspace/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=twtnl_x&utm_medium=SocialFlow

In my opinion, the most dangerous version of AI is one that finds solutions that completely elude human thinking based on logic or common sense.

Bad example: to eliminate poverty once and for all, the cheapest and quickest solution is to eliminate the poor.

A good example: to obtain an FTL propulsion system it is only necessary to remove the time factor from all equations.

Absurd example: To reduce the price of manufacturing women's clothing as much as possible, use one size.

Ill-documented example: Ending Meningitis deaths will require arresting that woman